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32          ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020                                                                                                                    CREATING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES      33










            Green Financing                                                                                                        Transitioning to a Low-carbon Future

            Our green initiatives are financed according to our Towngas Green Bond Framework. In late 2017, we became              Towngas is helping to fulfil the demand for the energy required to power economic growth as well as reduce
            the first energy utility in Hong Kong to issue green bonds. We obtain post-issuance stage certification from the       emissions contributing to climate change. The challenge of sustainable energy presents an opportunity for the
            Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) under its Green Finance Certification Scheme in order to reinforce
            investor confidence.                                                                                                   growth of our businesses, as we transition to a more sustainable business model:

            More information about our Green Bond Framework is available on our corporate website.
                                                                                                                                                City-gas                       City water                  Conventional fuels
            Use of Proceeds


            Our Green Bond was issued through a HK$600 million (ISIN HK0000375300) and a JPY2 billion
            (ISIN XS1720566790) transaction under the Medium-Term Note Programme. Proceeds from the green bond of                            Smart energy                      City-waste                   Biomass fuels and
            HK$734.4 million have been allocated to the following four waste-to-energy projects:                                                systems                        treatment                        chemicals

                                                                       Estimated                Amount and
             Project Category          Location             Equity   Project Cost            Ratio Allocated
                                                                        (millions)            (HK$ millions)
                                                                                           ISIN          ISIN
                                                                                   HK0000375300  XS1720566790
             Landfill Gas Utilisation  Tseung Kwan O,        100%          HK$350        145.0         35.0
                                       Hong Kong                                       (24.3%)      (25.4%)

             Kitchen Waste Processing    Suzhou city,        55%          RMB220          23.0         24.0
             (Waste to Energy)         Jiangsu province                                 (3.9%)       (17.5%)                       The Role of Natural Gas in Energy Transition

             Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil  Zhangjiagang city,  100%        RMB935        400.0          56.0
             (Waste to Energy)         Jiangsu province                                (67.0%)      (40.7%)                        As a leading energy supplier in Hong Kong and mainland China, we see natural gas as a critical component in the

             Agricultural Waste to Green   Tangshan city,    100%        RMB355.5         28.9          22.5                       transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
             Chemicals and Paper Pulp  Hubei province                                   (4.8%)       (16.4%)
                                                                                                                                   Towngas has been working closely with commercial and industrial customers, such as hotels, hospitals and
                                                                                                                                   commercial laundries, to switch from coal/diesel to gas. We are also promoting the use of gas-powered desiccant
            Project Update
                                                                                                                                   dehumidifiers to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy consumption, thereby lowering carbon emissions.
                                         Estimated                                                                                 In 2020, we worked with Hong Kong Baptist Hospital to install the first integrated desiccant system for hospital
             Project Category        GHG reduction     Project Progress
                                         (tCO2e/yr)                                                                                wards in Hong Kong. Having proved the greater effectiveness of these dehumidifiers over traditional versions, we
                                                                                                                                   are planning to introduce them in mainland China, especially in hospitals and hotels.
             Landfill Gas Utilisation        12,200    •  In full operation in 2020
                                                       •  Sent out 191TJ equivalent synthetic natural gas to town
                                                                                                                                   In 2020, we extended our city-gas business in mainland China to 23 provinces, autonomous regions and
                                                          gas network in 2020                                                      municipalities, and served approximately 31.81 million customer accounts. A new agreement was recently signed

             Kitchen Waste Processing        5,900     •  Officially commissioned in September 2020                                with Shanghai Gas Company Limited (Shanghai Gas) to strengthen our business growth, profit potential and
             (Waste to Energy)                         •  Handled 92,000 tonnes of wastes in 2020                                  assets size, and promote the long-term growth of the natural gas industry. Shanghai Gas is the major energy
                                                                                                                                   supplier to the city of Shanghai, with a share of more than 90 per cent of the local natural gas market.
             Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil   259,000     •  Officially commissioned in Q3 2020
             (Waste to Energy)                         •  Produced 88,000 tonnes of HVO in 2020                                    We are also expanding our own gas storage capacity on the mainland with the construction of a natural gas
                                                       •  Received International Sustainability and Carbon                         storage facility in underground salt caverns in Jintan district, Changzhou city, Jiangsu province. Construction of
                                                          Certification for the fourth year                                        this project is proceeding in phases. Total storage capacity will eventually reach 1.1 billion cubic metres, enabling
                                                                                                                                   the Group to supplement gas supplies in eastern China during the peak winter period.
             Agricultural Waste to Green   120,000     •  In partial trial production and is expected to commence
             Chemicals and Paper Pulp                     full-scale trial production in Q2 2021
                                                       •  Expected to be commissioned in Q3 2021
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